Out of all the sad stories in the entertainment industry, Mackenzie Phillips might have one of the most tragic. In 2009, the “One Day at a Time” actor wrote a book about her father, John Phillips, the frontman of The Mamas and The Papas, which detailed the years-long sexual abuse she received from him. “My father was not a bad man. He was kind of a testament to what drugs and alcohol — in huge quantities — can do to a person’s priorities. Their motives,” Mackenzie told Oprah in a subsequent interview, although she called their relationship “an abuse of power” on his part. “I don’t hate him. I understand that he was a very tortured man, and he sort of passed that torture down to me.”
The actor also revealed that the sexual abuse began when she was a teenager and lasted for decades, although she stopped it after getting pregnant. Facing the “implications” of not knowing who the father was, Mackenzie had an abortion, which was paid for by John, and never let him anywhere near her again.
In an interview with Erica Diamond, Mackenzie later clarified her opinions about what occurred between her and her dad: “There is no such thing as consensual sex between a father and a daughter.” Mackenzie also spoke about how the long-term trauma led to her struggling with drug addiction and described how “angry” she was at her father when he died in 2001.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
